Richard Griffiths Quick Links

The Harry Potter actor paid his respects at his former co-star's funeral

The Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe led a tearful farewell to his former co-star Richard Griffiths, who passed away last week. The Daily Express reports that the 23 year-old was sobbing as he paid tribute to Griffiths, aged 65. The portly Withnail and I star was buried in a 3 foot wide coffin and a number of well-known figures from the world of entertainment were present at the funeral to pay their respects.

In his speech, Daniel said that Griffiths made any room “twice as funny.” A mourner told the newspaper “Daniel was clearly very fond of Richard, as anyone who ever met him was, and was crying quite openly in church. It was a beautiful service and Richard would have been touched by how many people turned up to say goodbye… Richard was a tremendous character and the service was full of laughter and tears as his life was remembered with immense warmth and affection.”

A well-loved figure. Griffiths’ funeral was attended by the actors Nigel Havers, David Bradley and John Nettles. The comedian Jack Whitehall, also Richard’s godson, was also present, to say goodbye, at the church in Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire. Griffiths’ former Withnail & I co-star Richard E Grant sent a vegetable wreath, as a nod to a scene in the film, according to the report.

Beloved British actor Richard Griffiths passed away this week after a long and impressive career in film and theatre.

Beloved film and stage actor Richard Griffiths died yesterday due to complications from heart surgery. With more than 100 film and stage roles under his belt, Griffiths was a true acting veteran. However, younger audiences tend to recognise him most from his part as Harry Potter’s grumpy and sometimes cruel uncle Vernon.

His co-actor in the series, Damiel Radcliffe, who also collaborated with Griffiths in the play Equus, was one of the first to express his grief over Griffiths’s passing and his deep friendship and respect for the actor: "Richard was by my side during two of the most important moments of my career," Radcliffe said in a statement. "In August 2000, before official production had even begun on Potter, we filmed a shot outside the Dursleys' (home), which was my first ever shot as Harry. I was nervous and he made me feel at ease. Seven years later, we embarked on Equus together. It was my first time doing a play but, terrified as I was, his encouragement, tutelage and humor made it a joy. In fact, any room he walked into was made twice as funny and twice as clever just by his presence. I am proud to say I knew him".

Richard Griffiths left behind a loving wife, a number of friends and colleagues and numerous fans.

The worlds of film and stage have lost an important member, as actor Richard Griffiths passed away today.

Actor Richard Griffiths, best known for portraying Vernon Dursley in the Harry Potter films and Uncle Monty in Withnail and I, died today at the age of 65.

The actor passed away from complications, following heart surgery. Griffiths, a Tony award winner, was not just acclaimed for his work in film – he was also a proficient stage actor. His best known and most acclaimed stage portrayal was that of the charismatic teacher Hector in Alan Bennett's The History Boys. The actor was also awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) medal by Queen Elizabeth in 2008. As the world of show business flocks to mourn the loss, one of the first people to express their grief was Griffiths’ friend and colleague, Daniel Radcliffe, who worked with him on Harry Potter, as well as the stage production Equus. "Richard was by my side during two of the most important moments of my career. I was proud to know him,” he said. "Any room he walked into was made twice as funny and twice as clever just by his presence."

But Griffiths’ biggest success by far was as the predatory uncle Monty in the cult classic Withnail and I. In a message to his co-star on Twitter, the actor Richard E. Grant said: "My beloved Uncle Monty Richard Griffiths died last night. Chin-Chin my dear friend."

The filmmakers tell this World War I story beautifully, but they never quite bring it to life as a proper movie. By taking a gently simplistic approach, it never feels like anything new as it deals with the usual topics of battlefield camaraderie, lost innocence and families torn apart by war.

It's set in early 1900s rural Devon, as the Peaceful family's idyllic life comes to an abrupt end when Dad dies. Now Hazel (Peake) and her three sons, Tommo, Charlie and simple-minded Joe (MacKay, O'Connell and Summercorn), must struggle to find enough work to survive. And when the war breaks out, Tommo lies about his age to go off to fight, partly because the girl he loves, Molly (Roach), turns out to be in love with Charlie. So out of guilt, Charlie joins him in the trenches. Which makes both Molly and Hazel worry if either of them will return home.

Based on the novel by Michael Morpurgo (War Horse), the film is packed with serious themes that contrast life on a Devon farm with the horrors of battle. The story is framed with scenes of Tommo in a military prison cell, and we have to wait until the end to find out what that's all about, which kind of waters down the impact of the harrowing scenes that come next. This is probably because everything that happens in the meantime reiterates the fact that fate goes where it will, and both good and bad people die in wartime.

Based on the Brian Selznick novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Scorsese's first family movie combines a young boy's adventure with a cinematic history lesson. It's a celebration of wide-eyed wonder that's a joy to watch, although the title isn't the only thing that's dumbed-down.

In early 1930s Paris, the orphaned Hugo (Butterfield) lives in Montparnasse station, where he scurries through forgotten passageways maintaining the clocks. He learned this skill from his late father (Law), but an automaton they were fixing is his only reminder of his happier childhood. Dodging the tenacious station inspector (Baron Cohen), Hugo worms his way into the life of grouchy shopkeeper Georges (Kingsley), and has a series of adventures with his goddaughter Isabelle (Moretz). When they learn that Georges is forgotten pioneer filmmaker Georges Melies, they decide to help bring him back to life.

Scorsese tells this story with bravura moviemaking trickery, from whooshing tracking shots to wonderfully inventive uses of 3D. He also peppers the screen with witty references to film history from Modern Times to Vertigo, clips from early cinema and flashbacks to the Lumiere brothers' exhibition and Melies' busy studio. Meanwhile, the main plot unfolds with a warmly inviting glow, sharply telling details and a colourful cast of memorable side characters. Intriguingly, everyone is a bit opaque; like the automaton, the gears turn but we never really understand them.

Butterfield's Hugo may be consumed by an inner yearning, but he's always on guard, providing a watchful pair of eyes through which we see the drama, romance and slapstick of the station. And it's in these details that Scorsese and his cast draw us in. Standouts are Baron Cohen, who adds layers of comedy and pathos to every scene, and McCrory (as Mrs Melies), with her barely suppressed enthusiasm. As usual, Kingsley never lets his guard down: he invests this broken man with a bit too much dignity.

As the film progresses, the passion for the movies is infectious. Scorsese's gorgeous visual approach and writer Logan's controlled cleverness never overwhelm the human story. And even if Melies' life and Paris' geography are adjusted for no real reason, the film's warm drama and delightful imagery really get under the skin, making us fall in love with the movies all over again.

Hugo is a twelve year old boy who lives in Paris and loves mysteries. One day, in 1930, his father presents him with a wind up figure. His father tells him it's a music box that a magician probably built. The only thing missing is the key used to wind up the music box. The keyhole is in the shape of a heart. Hugo and his father want to find the heart shaped key - whose whereabouts is a mystery - so they can make their music box work.

Captain Jack Sparrow is back for another high seas romp and, despite the long running time, this is more freewheeling comedy than action adventure. And while it's hilarious fun, it's also so meandering that it's a bit dull.

In London, Jack (Depp) is brought before George II (Griffiths) so he can help the Brits beat the Spanish to the Fountain of Youth. But after an elaborate escape, Jack ends up in the crew of the ship captained by the evil Blackbeard (McShane) and his daughter Angelica (Cruz), with whom Jack has a past. So now Blackbeard, the Spanish and the British, led by Jack's old nemesis/pal Barbossa (Rush), are racing to the Caribbean to find the secret of immortality. And their first task is to capture a mermaid.

The trailer for the fourth instalment from The Pirates Of The Caribbean franchise has arrived! Captain Jack Sparrow once again takes to the high seas in an adventure that's sure to be immensely entertaining. When a beautiful yet deadly woman from Jack's past appears once again, he's unsure of her intentions but once she forces him to join her on the ruthless Blackbeard's ship called Queen Anne's Revenge asking to find the infamous fountain of youth, he knows there's sure to be plenty of danger ahead. Not only that but the captain also finds himself in the much colder climates than he's used to when his quest takes him to London.

Like a British variation on Team America, this loudly hilarious wartime romp pushes its parallel-reality scenario in some very funny directions, although it perhaps relies too much on postmodern pop-culture references. Even so, it keeps us chuckling.

In this WWII-era Europe populated with stop-motion dolls, the evacuation of Dunkirk was a miserable failure. This opens the door for Hitler (Cumming) to invade London by tunnelling from France. But Winston Churchill (Spall) won't give up without a fight, and he's joined by heroic farm boy Chris (McGregor), blustering Yank Fiske (West) and the lovely Daisy (Pike), daughter of a country vicar (Grant). As the Nazis move in, the English resistance decamps to the north, where they hope to get help from the barbarians in Scot Land.

After dozens of movies, Adam Sandler remains hard to figure out. Most of Sandler's films slavishly follow the mold of most film comedies of the last decade or so: a somewhat funny male star (Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, Will Ferrell, Seth Rogen, Adam Sandler) is dropped into an unfunny premise with a lot of gross-out scenes and poop jokes to make up for the lack of laughs.

But the other part of Sandler's "oeuvre" consists of movies like Spanglish and Punch-Drunk Love -- odd hybrids of broad humor and quirk -- and toned-down, frothy mainstream comedies like Click and Bedtime Stories. It would be unfair to accuse Sandler of selling out his artistic vision in these films -- not only because Little Nicky wasn't art, but because the non-manic goofiness of Bedtime Stories may be closer to the real Sandler. And with some script consulting help, someday the real Sandler might make a really good film. Bedtime Stories isn't it, but at least it's mostly aimed in the right direction.